OK, here we go, this is what I can remember, some pricing will be estimated for the earlier models. Starting from oldest to newest; (JS Audio is a local NJ speaker manufacturer, not the dealer!)
JS Audio tall bookshelf $300. new
JS Audio Panel $800.00 new
JS Audio tower $1100.00 new
Magnepan 1.6QR $1500.00 new
MAGNEPAN 3.6R $3500.00 NEW
B&W NAUTILUS 802, $8,000.00 NEW
B&W NAUTILUS 800, $16,000.00 NEW |
Wharfedale W45's were my first (guess about $100 in 1972)
- still have them but gutted the cabinets and rebuilt
with with new Audax drivers/crossover
Infinity Monitor IIa's ($500 or so in 1975)
- I still have them - they are all original and
immaculate (surrounds replaced)
Totem Sttaf's ($1500 in 2003)
That's the evolution of my main system. I've recently added a home theater, and a couple of other room systems. The most notable speakers in these systems are:
Paradigm 7seII
Paradigm 7seIII
Parasound CRS220
Infinity Entra One
Another set of home built - using Vifa drivers.
Radio Shack Minimus 7's |
First; medium sized Mission bookshelves, 727 or 737, or some such. About $400 Cdn 20 years ago. (about 1.32 Cdn = 1Usd now - not sure about the going rate back then)
Next, a couple different pairs of Bostons in succession; a floorstander, then a standmounter.
About 15 years ago, TOTEM STTAFs, new, around $1500 Cdn. Still have these and still enjoy the sound very much in my secondary system.
Had Monitor GR10s and Silver 9i 's in succession.
Not much over a year ago, JMLAB ELECTRA 906s - I liked these a lot - so much so that they made me wonder how much better the JMLAB 927 BEs would sound. Now I have the 927s home and I'm finding out. Wonderful so far, getting better. |
My first decent rig was a magnavox rack 3 way 12 towers whole stereo $500
Bose bookself 8's used $20
Interaudio by Bose 10 towers used $40
Bose 10's used $35
Pioneer cs-G301WA2 used $40 I still use these thet are my favs
Jenson 15's used $30
Fisher 15's used $30
pioneer cs 10's used $30
Cerwin Vega sub150 new clearence $250
Cerwin Vega D5's used $30
anyone help me out with some specs on the D5's? 3 way 12's |
I have evolved a couple times since I last posted. From the Thiel 2.3 I went to the Vonschweikert VR2 (1 yr.) and then the Vonschweikert VR4JR. I think I am done evovling for a while. I can't afford to anymore. I love these jr's though! |
JBL 4311 Monitors - loved them, until they were stolen :(
Polks - don't remember model, but didn't have enough power to get the best from them
Paradigm Control Monitors - good...until I blew one of them
Paradigm Eclipse - good too, but I always wanted Magnepans
Magnepan 1.6QR's - I love these, especially with lots of power and after treaking the crossovers |
Klipsch KG2s $250 New - I bought these back in 1984
I got interested in audio again a about 1 1/2 years ago and went from:
Paradigm Studio 20s, $800 New - Good but wanted something more refined.
Spendor S1s $500 Used - I liked these alot, IMO it had nice mid range but wasn't as accurate as my current speaker.
SF Concertos $1100 Used - I absolutely love these, I need to improve my amp though to get the most out of them |
Goodmans
Mission (737's I think)
Audio Research (Can't think of model#)
Quad ESL 57
Sonus Faber Electa's
QLN Signature Splitfield II's
Apogee Caliper Sig II's
Magnepan 3.6R
watch this space.... |
1993 ALR Nummer 3 stand speakers (DM1600 = $1000)
I bough my first speakers from money I have earned during summer job (working in a moving company for 6 weeks). The speaker were ALR Nummer 3 stand speakers in D'Appolito configurationfrom a small German company. They were not even that great for the Rock music that I listened to at the time.
1998 Mission 751 freedom monitors
I started loving these speakers back in 1993 when I first heard them at a dealer in Germany. Somehow could not convince myself to go "back" from a stand speaker to a smaller bookshelf. After a move in 1998 I finally had the excuse to get them. I have been going through several changes in the surrounding equipment, I have never regreted these though. Probably the best bookshelfs Mission has ever made. These are the reason for me becoming an audiophile in first place.
|
Pioneer somethings - free
JBL somethings - $120 new
SIGNET SL280EXB - $900 new
SUNFIRE TRUE 10 SUB - $1300 new
SONUS FABER SOLO HOME - $600 new
VANDERSTEEN 2CE - $1080 new
Definative Bp2 - $250 used |
1967 Infinity Servo-Statik I $1800 (eventually broke down - discarded)
Got Married
1982 Magnepan SMG $400 demo (still in my attic - any interest?)
Current System
1995 Magnepan 0.6QR $550 used
1998 Augmented by DefTech PF15 $400 used
2004 Augmented by Magnepan MMG W and MMG C for surround sound $600
2004 Added Adcom 5802 to power the 0.6QR and offload the Denon 3803. That is what the Maggies have been waiting for - begging for- for so many years. Now I have a room filled with the most glorious sounds. You fellow panel heads out there will know what I mean. You cone heads will have to use your imaginations. :-D Any fellow Maggie afficionados, if they aren't already singing to your complete satisfaction, get the highest-output mosfet amp you can afford. Maggies love it. I recommend 5802 <$900 used. |
Totally forgot the AR model 9 s . I owned two pairs and had to replace the whoofers twice because of rot. Great speaker though. |
Home-made Altec Lan Voice of the Theater
Pioneer 3 ways (H65?)
DCM Time Windows
Bose 901 II's....two pairs
Maggie II's
Accoustat 4's
Infinity Beta's.....still own |
Radio Shack bookshelf - everybody seem to have begun with this
Pioneer HPM100 - in possession
AR9 - tower 4 way
AR48b
Infinity RS 4b
JBL4412
JBL L200
JBL SR4732
Snell C5
NHT VT2
Martin Logan CLS
Velodyne DD15 |
Radio Shack drivers in home made boxes, new ~$40, 2 years
Dynaco ~25?, new $?, 2 years
Altec 15" coax in home made boxes, used $40, 6 mos.
JBL L26, new $240, 2 years
JBL L65, new $720, 3 years
ADS ?, new $300, 2 years
B&W DM110, new $240, 4 years
Tannoy Arden, used $700, 5 years
JBL 4343, used $1600, 5 years
B&W 802, used $1600, 3 mos.
Tannoy S10, used $900
Tannoy D700, demo $2200, 6 mos.
JBL S3100, used, $2600 (real keepers, currently owned) |
Well this is one long thread, I don't recall prices but here goes:
homemade box with 8 inch driver
Altec 887? (new)
Polk Audio monitor 7b (new)
Bose 901IV (new)
Paradigm 9SEMKIII, blown up by son, (new)
Thiel CS 1.5 (used)
Cambridge Audio Ensemble One (new)
Radio Shack (various)
Paradigm Studio 60v2 (new)
PSB Alpha (used)
NHT Super ones (used)
Acoustic Energy Aegis One (new)
NHT SB3 (new)
Acoustic Energy AESPRIT 300 (2 pairs) (new)
The AE 300s are my favorites to date and don't intend to change for a while. |
Cheap JVC's, Polk 5jr+'s, B&W Cm2's(Concept 90's), B&W 802 S2's and Merlin VSM SE/Me and to be MX's. |
Tandberg Studio Monitor, bought in Belgrade, new, 2.000$ (still have them)
KEF Concerto, bought for 30EUR at a second hand store this year
Wharfedale E 30, bought for EUR 45 at a second hand store
Bose 301 Series II, bought for 5EUR a ta flea market, woofers needed replacement |
Jensen who-knows-whats?
Klipsch Forte
Legacy Focus
Von Schweikert VR-4 III HSE
Merlin VSM-Milleniums
These would be over the span of the last 24 years.... |
DCM Time Frame TF350 S$800
Totem Model 1 S$1500
Vandersteen 2CE Signature S$3500
Cabasse Baltic/Thor II S$POA [coming soon]
Always bought new. Started out with the DCM time frames back in 1990. They are a cheap and good pair of spks and the thing is, they're still in good working condition playing in my Dad's house.
The Totem monitors were imaging kings. Still love them, but hated the treble hardness which couldn't seem to go away with different amps. One of the hardest to match.
With the Vandersteens, I got lots of bass and very nice mids. Seemed to work well with anything and hard not to like. Treble [again] was problematic and could sound harsh when pushed. Imaged even better than the Totem(!). Wasn't as fast as high efficiency single driver type spks.
Looked for high efficiency spks which could reproduce the full freq spectrum without throwing away anything and NOT sounding boxy. Needless to say, this upgrade would be the most significant for me. I also own a pair of Cabasse Farellas for HT and loved the tweeter. So investigated their eyeball spks - starting with the iO paired with the Thor II sub. I was amazed at how these spks disappeared and the music was so natural it didn't seem like I was listening to hifi, just music. So I've taken the plunge and gone for the bigger Baltic II/Thor II. |
Some cheapo Aiwa system's speakers
Allison 1
Duntech mini monitors
Thiel 2.2
Proac Response 5
Kharam CRM Focal titanium tweeter 2.3 (current) |
1. zenith allegro speakers 10 inch woofer with horn tweeter amazing sound. FREE ages 5-15
2.Yamaha bookshelf first new speaker 106.85
3.a/d/s mv40 800.00
4. Vandersteen 2ce sigs 1500.00
5. a/d/s l710, l780, l500, l990, and much more none over 400.00
6 ess heil from 70s free
7.symdex sigma and omega best there is 400.00
8. Note Perfect alpha pro se. Australian speaker traded equipment.
all of these within the last 2 years. Nothing i have tried can come close to the symdex. except the vandy 5's but 400 vs. 12,000 not that much better... |
Pbb sez: Wonder what an SE version of these speakers, using a stiffer panel structure (by incorporating something rigid à la Mye stands in the design) and better quality components all around (including the connectors and, most certainly, the x-overs, would be like? I listened to a pair of 3.5 with an allegedly hotrodded x-over (I have no idea as to the schematics). Improvement in the low end, some improvement -- low level detail became more evident -- in the tweet section (without an attenuator). However, I speculate that bi-amping would do the trick famously. Also, rather than changing connectors, one could hard wire cables to the x-over? |
I don't know if it actually is an evolutionary link, but I got Magneplanar MG 3.6Rs at the end of last year. I have been busily engaged in the job of getting them to run ever since. Bought used from a guy I would not recommend buying a hairpin from, they required a lot in the way of repairs. They do sound great after many efforts, so all is not negative. Just a question of what everyone has too little of: time and money. Dealing with Magnepan has not been smooth sailing either, since I do not live in the USA, which is reason for the folks at Magnepan to complicate things. I worked with a dealer who, while taking his own good time to get things done, did do a very good job of repairing them. I am now learning the art of replacing the foil in their ribbon tweeter; not the easiest task in the world I can assure you!
Wonder what an SE version of these speakers, using a stiffer panel structure (by incorporating something rigid à la Mye stands in the design) and better quality components all around (including the connectors and, most certainly, the x-overs, would be like?
Looking at the way they are built compared to top box speakers, it is a wonder they sound as good as they do. Strange company that Magnepan outfit... |
Aiwa mini system ~$100
Technics rack system/floorstander...I was young and seduced by the though of those 12" and 15" paper, and I do mean paper, woofers
PSB Stratus Silver i's $800
Psb stratus Gold I's $1700
Merlin VSM-MM's $7700...these are simply unreal. |
Starting in 1973 -EPI 50,EPI 100, Ohm C+,Dahlquist DQ10,Chartwell LS3/5a(financial reasons),Spendor BC1,Quad 57's,Quad 63's,Linn Kans,Kan II,Tukans,ATC 20's (Superb!) ATC SCM100a's far and away the BEST! There are many others I've spent considerable time with, too many to mention. |
1973 Studiocraft 330's of brand don't know who made them but, they sounded good in the store. Tweeters were facing 45 degrees outward which seemed to improve the sound stage. 1974 large advents. Nice nuetral sound. 1976, double advents which were stacked woofer, tweeter, tweeter woofer. played much louder. 1979 Audioanalyst phase matrix threes. Had a coned tweeter with a grill that was supposed to improve the sound stage. They wore out in '89 so I bought two Linn Nexus demos which were very nuetral and smooth. Heard Vandersteen 2's that year but, could not afford then. Finally bought the Vandersteen 2 CE sigsin 2002. Love the nuetral , balanced sound. |
Klipsh CF-3
Klipsh CF-4
PSB Stratus Gold
Audio Physic Tempo
Legacy Focus
Gallo Nucleus Reference (still own)
Audio Physic Libra
Von Schweikert VR-4jr (will take delivery in 2 weeks) |
KLH,$59.95, JBL$129.00, Klipsch Heresy 1 used $225.00, Kenwood used $100.00, Pioneer cs88a used $200.00, still have these in the closet, Klipsch Heresy II used $300.00, Magnepan MG1 used $100.00 sold these for $225.00 at garage sale, saw the guy a year later and he never hooked them up so I bought them back for $100.00 again, Paradigm Studio 100 v3 $2000.00, sold 'em, Magnepan 1.6qr coming tomorrow $1725.00? OK Bye |
Magnepan MG-1 ($500)
Polk RTA-12(?) (@ $900) (a mistake)
Acoustat 1+1 and pair of Kinergetic Woofers ($?)
Martin Logan Quest ($4,000)
S.A.P. J2001 (twin woofer) ($21,500) One of the best sounding speakers I've heard at any price, and, at 99 db/w efficiency, I can use it with just about any amp. |
4-05-2004 Lafeytte C-25s? Not sure of model# 1967 Lafeytte C-50s? Not sure of model# 1968 AR-4As 1969 AR-2As 1974 OHM Gs 1975 OHM C2s 1977,(2 pair stacked), incredible rock speakers stacked!! Magnepan IBs 1983 Celsestion SL-6s with Reardon 10" subwoofer 1984 Incredible home engineered and built ported speakers (12" woofers, 4" mids and dome tweeters)still have 1999 Magnepan IIBs purchased on eBay then sent to Magnepan for rebuild (wow)!! still have 2004 OHM C2s (2 pair stacked...again) still have, something old is new again 2004 One current system powered by 2 Crown DC 300As mono'ed (amazing what you find on eBay) Tom Miller milfam@adelphia.net |
KLH bookshelf speakers model?
Altec Lansing Mid stacks
Polk Audio Rt-5
Klipsch KG 5.5
KLF C-40
Klipsch Quartet
Magnepan SMGa
Dunlavy SC-1
Klipsch Forte II |
Sony all in one system (30+ years ago). Then a Technics system with Jensen 3-ways (25 years ago). Then Klipsch LaScalas (still own) - 22 years ago. Thiel CS3s (tweeters blown) -18 years ago. Paradigm Studio 100 V2s (still own) -3 years ago. AR.com DIY (sill own -back channels in HT) -last year. EFE T-22s (front 3 channles in HT) + Adire Audio Rava - last year.
Best speaker - EFE T-22's + Rava. |
Speakers have changed least often so they can be remembered.
I'll start with smaller Advents although there were some no name jobs in my very first system. Then came the larger Advents...I thought the smallers were better with more tuneful bass. Next was my speaker epiphany when an audio salesman told me to go with speakers that could "keep up" with upgraded electronics down the road. I chose the Harbeth Monitor Mk3's which I hung onto for about 16 years relegating them to generally more musical secondary systems after they were done in the main setup.
For the main system I went with Apogee Duetta II's. Looking for a little more transparency and air I then moved on to the Martin Logan CLS II's which I used for several years with and without subs by Entec. A change of listening environments prompted the move to Wilson Watt2/Puppy 1's which was one of the few dynamic speakers that could keep an electrostatic lover happy. Current speakers are the more refined Wilson Sophias.
In the other system, the Harbeths were eventually replaced by ATC SCM 10's. Now I am using Sonus Faber Guarneris. |
1. Long ago - $100.00 stereo tuner & 2 speakers from
Five and Dime (SS Kres??????)
2. 16 yrs. ago - Huge used old Kenwood with jumbo Radio
Shack speakers.
3. 12 yrs. ago - Denon DRA345R receiver & matching DCM 340
carousel CD player.
4. Am now considering 2 channel, maybe monos and a couple
speakers with a foreign name because I have been very
happy with my Lexus LS.
|
B&O - forgot what model but the system looked really cool.
Dahlquist DQ-10 - one of the best speakers I have ever heard. Even today. Great stage presence.
EPI Model 100 - had to downsize (decided to go to college)
Dahlquist DQ-10 - again
Little Bose pieces of crap (Lifestyle 10 or something like that). I know, but I had to downsize, again, and wanted HT. They looked like a good idea but sit in front of them for about 20 minutes and they grate on you like crazy.
PSB Stratus Bronze (fronts). Fit budget and fits listening room. And sound pretty nice for HT and music.
Great idea for this thread.
Jack |
This thread was too humorous to pass up.
1) Technic 8" 2-ways
2) Some cheap 3-way with a 12" woofer - loud though
3) Genesis IIs - had these a long time
4) Mission 707s - had these the shortest time
5) Profile 2s - JSE clone
6) Profile 3s - JSE clone
7) Soliloquy 6.3s |
1) OHM H (think about $400 pair but don't remember) around 1977(?)
2) Large Advent (also don't remember but less than the OHMs) around 1978)
3) Dahlquist DQ-6, $500s for pair, plus stands, 1992
4) Aurum Cantus Leisure 2 (Chinese ribbon tweeter monitor), 2004 |
Here's all I can remember
1)Tiny FM radio I bought with Newspaper route money
2)Fred Meyer (variety store) Integrated with card board boxes (it even had an 8 track player) WOW!
3)Old Zenith tube console with 15" speaker
4)Warfedale E70's, Blew em up three times with a Quatra amp
5)Scott? Huge Floor standers with top firing tweet and mids for that same dumb amp.
6)KEF Q10 second system
7)NHT 1.2
8)B&W Matrix 3E
9)NHT VS 1.4 Home Theater stuff
10)NHT SW 10
11)Sony junk speakers thrown in with a package deal on rack system. Then I threw them out.
and...... |
Can't recall them all, but it's gone something like this: Aiwa minisystem w/ attached speakers, MB Quart floorstanders, JM Lab bookshelves, NHT SuperZero, Vandersteen 1, Vandersteen 2, Vandersteen 3, Quad ESL-63, Dunlavy SM1, Dunlavy Cantata, Von Schweikert VR-1, Von Schweikert VR-4 HSE, and, last but not least, Kharma Midi Exquisites.
And I wonder where all the money went. :) |
in '70 had a KLH compact system with turntable/tuner in one, it had these nice looking two way speakers
then went to small advents, large advents,
rogers LS35/A, added an audio pro subwoofer
then rogers studio ones'
magnapan which I never got used to
then thiel CS2
For last 12 years I've used thiel 2.2's.
thinking of changing -would like to audition thiel 2.4, legacy signature, sololoquy 6.3, reimer, von schweikert VR5
any suggestions? |
Apogee Duetta II's...These have been upgraded to Signature.This is my first speaker and my last.I have never heard there equal.Thank's,John |
Radio Shack DIY,ADS 2ways, Linn Kans, Activ Linn Kabers; considering Dynaudio contour S5.4's |
Well, actually the first one is a Sansui minisystem,
1995-1997, Fisher (forgot the model) plus a techinics receiver
1997-2004, sound dynamics 300ti, very happy with it till the upgrade bug bites me
2004- undetermined future, Dynaudio 1.3 SE |
Ge console
Sansui small bookshelves
Bozak 302's
Phase Linear Phase III
Fulton small bookshelves
Fulton large floor standers
Infinity Servo static 1
Unity Audio Signatures with subs
Audio Physics Virgo's
Avantgarde Duo's Series 1.1
Still looking for the perfect speaker
PS Why did you get rid of the Beveridge 3's? |
Akai something or other
Jamo CBR-120's (After a number of yrs reconed and custom wired, spring terminals were upgraded as well with WBT).
Swans Cygnus
No intention of selling these any time soon. |
Boy, this is painful:
1992 - present: Bose 4.2
I need to graduate and get a job so that I may be free of these things! Just starting to scratch the surface on what my next set of speakers may be. I aspire to own a pair of Thiel CS2.4's, but I'm not sure if I can live with the Blose long enough to save up for the Thiels! |
I started off with the biggest gaudiest loudest speakers I could find, the Cerwin Vega AT-15. At 18 years old, probably the perfect speakers for me. They were huge, about 40"x20"x20". 15" woofers, extremely efficient, and there seemed no limit to how loud they would play. They got me thrown out of TWO different apartments (well...that and some other things).
Then I went to the other end of the scale and bought the Carver al3's. Nice speakers....terrible choice. My lifestyle at the time and those tall, fragile speakers was a godawful match.
Sold them and went with a pair of PSB speakers combined with an M&K sub. Perfect set up for the time. Great for HT which I was into at the time, easy to place, out of the way, etc.
Then I replaced the PSB's with a pair of Boston VR-20's combined with the M&K. I still have these speakers. Very good HT speaker, a little harsh and thin for music, but for $400 not bad at all.
Now I have the Europas and really enjoy them. I've gone toward the monitor side of things, although I can see myself with a large floorstander in the future. |
1985 - Pioneer Monitors. Awful but free.
1988 - Onkyo floorstanders. Yes, that Onkyo. Had 12" woofers which, at that time, seemed bitchin'.
1991 - Infinity monitors. Sealed, sounded great, looked classy. Too bad I sold them.
1999 - Klipsch RB-3 monitors. A classic "what was I thinking" situation as I half-heartedly got into home theater. They sounded bad from the start and never improved. At least they were cheap. My kids will hate me for passing them down when they're old enough ... the kids, not the speakers.
2003 - JMlab Cobalt 816S floorstanders. Finally stuck my toe into the deep end. Really like these speakers. See my system page for more details.
???? - Dynaudio floorstanders. Need spousal approval which is an indeterminate number of years away.
|
Started with the large Advents through college, then switched to Kef 104 ab's for many years. Then (drastically) upgraded to Avalon Osiris, which I've had for 3 years. NNNot going anywhere soon.
David Shapiro |
